DREYFUS LIQUID ASSETS, INC.
1 INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE
Dreyfus Liquid Assets is a money market fund whose goal is to
provide you with as high a level of current income as is consistent with
the preservation of capital. The Fund seeks to maintain a net asset
value of $1.00 per share.
2 INVESTMENT STRATEGY
This Fund invests in short-term money market instruments,
consisting exclusively of securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S.
Government or its agencies or instrumentalities, certificates of
deposit, time deposits, bankers' acceptances and other short-term
obligations issued by domestic banks and London branches of domestic
banks, repurchase agreements, high grade commercial paper and other
short-term corporate obligations. The Fund will invest at least 25% of
its assets in bank obligations.
The Fund will maintain a dollar-weighted average portfolio maturity
of 90 days or less and purchase only securities having remaining
maturities of 13 months or less.
3 INVESTMENT RISKS
* An investment in the Fund is neither insured nor guaranteed by
the FDIC or the U.S. Govern-ment. There can be no assurance that the
Fund will be able to maintain a stable net asset value of $1.00 per
share.
* The Fund's yield will fluctuate based on market conditions.
* To the extent the Fund's investments are concentrated in the
banking industry, the Fund will have correspondingly greater exposure
to the risk factors which are characteristic of such investments.
4 APPROPRIATE FOR INVESTORS WHO:
* Are averse to principal fluctuations.
* Seek high current income through a portfolio of money market
instruments.
5 FEES AND EXPENSES
Shareholder Transaction Expenses are paid by investors when purchasing and/or
redeeming Fund shares.
Maximum Sales Load Imposed
on Purchases (as a percentage of
offering price) None
Annual Fund Operating Expenses are taken directly from the assets of the
Fund, and are reflected in the Fund's net asset value.
(as a percentage of average daily net assets)
Management Fees .47%
Other Expenses .29%
Total Fund Operating Expenses .76%
Example:
You would pay the following expenses on a $1,000 investment,
assuming (1) 5% annual return and (2) redemption at the end of each time
period:
1 Year 3 Years 5 Years 10 Years
$8 $24 $42 $94
This is an illustration only; actual expenses and returns will vary.
6 Past Performance
_____________________________
| | |
| | CALENDAR |
| YEAR | YEAR TOTAL |
| | RETURN |
|----------- | ------------- |
| 1985 | 8.14% |
| 1986 | 6.50% |
| 1987 | 6.28% |
| 1988 | 7.11% |
| 1989 | 9.07% |
| 1990 | 7.99% |
| 1991 | 5.87% |
| 1992 | 3.47% |
| 1993 | 2.64% |
| 1994 | 3.53% |
|-----------------------------
7-day yield for period ended 6/30/95:
5.43%
For current yield information call:
1-800-782-6620
Past performance is no guarantee of future
results; yield fluctuates.
7 INVESTMENT ADVISER
The Dreyfus Corporation is the Fund's investment adviser.
8 PURCHASES
The minimum initial investment is $2,500. The initial investment
must be accompanied by the Fund's Account Application. Subsequent
investments must be at least $100. You may purchase Fund shares by
check or wire, or through the Dreyfus TeleTransfer privilege.
9 REDEMPTIONS
You can sell Fund shares by written request, telephone, Dreyfus
TeleTransfer ($500 minimum, $150,000 maximum), wire redemption ($1,000
minimum, $250,000 maximum) or by writing a redemption check ($500
minimum).
When a redemption request is received in proper form, the Fund will
redeem the shares at the next determined net asset value.
10 DISTRIBUTIONS
Dividends are declared and paid daily; capital gains, if any, are
declared and paid annually. Dividends and capital gains can be mailed to
you, sent directly to your bank, swept into another Dreyfus account or
reinvested back into your Fund to purchase shares at net asset value.
Calendar Year Total Return
7-day yield for period ended 6/30/95:
5.43%
For current yield information call:
1-800-782-6620
Past performance is no guarantee of future results; yield fluctuates.
11 OTHER SERVICES
* Telephone Exchange Privilege
* Dreyfus-AUTOMATIC Asset BuilderRegistration Mark
* Dreyfus Dividend Options
* Dreyfus Payroll Savings Plan
Mutual fund shares are not deposits or obligations of, or guaranteed or
endorsed by, any bank, and are not federally insured by the Federal Deposit
Insurance Corporation, the Federal Reserve Board, or any other agency. There
can be no assurance that any money market fund will be able to maintain a
stable net asset value of $1.00 per share.
DREYFUS
LIQUID
ASSETS, INC.
A money market
mutual fund
FUND PROFILE
This Profile contains key information about the Fund. More details appear in
the Fund's accompanying Prospectus.
Copy Rights 1995, Dreyfus Service Corporation, Broker-Dealer
Premier Mutual Fund Services, Distributor 039retpro1-957
Registration Mark
May 19, 1995
DREYFUS LIQUID ASSETS, INC.
SUPPLEMENT TO PROSPECTUS DATED MAY 1, 1995
THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION SUPPLEMENTS INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THE
SECTION OF THE FUND'S PROSPECTUS ENTITLED "HOW TO BUY FUND SHARES."
DREYFUS STEP PROGRAM - Dreyfus Step Program enables you to purchase Fund
shares without regard to the Fund's minimal initial investment requirements
through Dreyfus-AUTOMATIC Asset Builder, Dreyfus Government Direct Deposit
Privilege or Dreyfus Payroll Savings Plan. To establish a Dreyfus Step
Program account, you must supply the necessary information on the Fund's
Account Application and file the required authorization form(s) with the
Transfer Agent. For more information concerning this Program, or to request
the necessary authorization form(s), please call toll free 1-800-782-2260.
You may terminate your participation in this Program at any time by
discontinuing your participation in Dreyfus-AUTOMATIC Asset Builder, Dreyfus
Government Direct Deposit Privilege or Dreyfus Payroll Savings Plan, as the
case may be, as provided under the terms of such Privilege(s). The Fund
reserves the right to redeem your account if you have terminated your
participation in the Program and your account's net asset value is $500 or
less. See "How to Redeem Fund Shares." The Fund may modify or terminate this
Program at any time. Investors who wish to purchase Fund shares through the
Dreyfus Step Program in conjunction with a Dreyfus-sponsored retirement plan
may do so only for IRAs, SEP-IRAs and IRA "Rollover Accounts."
039/s051995
FOR USE BY BANKS ONLY
May 1, 1995
DREYFUS LIQUID ASSETS, INC.
Supplement to Prospectus Dated May 1, 1995
All mutual fund shares involve certain investment risks, including
the possible loss of principal.
039/s050195IST
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------
PROSPECTUS MAY 1, 1995
DREYFUS LIQUID ASSETS, INC.
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
DREYFUS LIQUID ASSETS, INC. (THE "FUND") IS AN OPEN-END, DIVERSIFIED,
MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANY, KNOWN AS A MONEY MARKET MUTUAL FUND. ITS GOAL
IS TO PROVIDE YOU WITH AS HIGH A LEVEL OF CURRENT INCOME AS IS CONSISTENT
WITH THE PRESERVATION OF CAPITAL.
YOU CAN INVEST, REINVEST OR REDEEM SHARES AT ANY TIME WITHOUT CHARGE
OR PENALTY. THE FUND PROVIDES FREE REDEMPTION CHECKS, WHICH YOU CAN USE IN
AMOUNTS OF $500 OR MORE FOR CASH OR TO PAY BILLS. YOU CONTINUE TO EARN INCOME
ON THE AMOUNT OF THE CHECK UNTIL IT CLEARS. YOU CAN PURCHASE OR REDEEM SHARES
BY TELEPHONE USING DREYFUS TELETRANSFER.
THE DREYFUS CORPORATION PROFESSIONALLY MANAGES THE FUND'S PORTFOLIO.
THIS PROSPECTUS SETS FORTH CONCISELY INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUND
THAT YOU SHOULD KNOW BEFORE INVESTING. IT SHOULD BE READ AND RETAINED FOR
FUTURE REFERENCE.
THE STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, DATED MAY 1, 1995, WHICH MAY
BE REVISED FROM TIME TO TIME, PROVIDES A FURTHER DISCUSSION OF CERTAIN AREAS
IN THIS PROSPECTUS AND OTHER MATTERS WHICH MAY BE OF INTEREST TO SOME
INVESTORS. IT HAS BEEN FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION AND
IS INCORPORATED HEREIN BY REFERENCE. FOR A FREE COPY, WRITE TO THE FUND AT
144 GLENN CURTISS BOULEVARD, UNIONDALE, NEW YORK 11556-0144, OR CALL
1-800-645-6561. WHEN TELEPHONING, ASK FOR OPERATOR 144.
AN INVESTMENT IN THE FUND IS NEITHER INSURED NOR GUARANTEED BY THE
U.S. GOVERNMENT. THERE CAN BE NO ASSURANCE THAT THE FUND WILL BE ABLE TO
MAINTAIN A STABLE NET ASSET VALUE OF $1.00 PER SHARE.
MUTUAL FUND SHARES ARE NOT DEPOSITS OR OBLIGATIONS OF, OR
GUARANTEED OR ENDORSED BY, ANY BANK, AND ARE NOT FEDERALLY INSURED BY THE
FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION, THE FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD, OR ANY
OTHER AGENCY.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Annual Fund Operating Expenses.................... 3
Condensed Financial Information................... 3
Yield Information................................. 4
Description of the Fund........................... 4
Management of the Fund............................ 7
How to Buy Fund Shares............................ 8
Shareholder Services.............................. 9
How to Redeem Fund Shares......................... 12
Shareholder Services Plan......................... 15
Dividends, Distributions and Taxes................ 15
General Information............................... 17
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
THESE SECURITIES HAVE NOT BEEN APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED BY THE SECURITIES AND
EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION NOR HAS THE SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION PASSED UPON THE
ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS PROSPECTUS. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY
IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
[This Page Intentionally Left Blank]
Page 2
ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES
(as a percentage of average daily net assets)
Management Fees .............................................. .47%
Other Expenses................................................ .29%
Total Fund Operating Expenses................................. .76%
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Example: 1 YEAR 3 YEARS 5 YEARS 10 YEARS
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C>
You would pay the following expenses on
a $1,000 investment, assuming (1) 5%
annual return and (2) redemption at the
end of each time period: $8 $24 $42 $94
</TABLE>
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE AMOUNTS LISTED IN THE EXAMPLE SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS
REPRESENTATIVE OF PAST OR FUTURE EXPENSES AND ACTUAL EXPENSES MAY BE GREATER
OR LESS THAN THOSE INDICATED. MOREOVER, WHILE THE EXAMPLE ASSUMES A 5% ANNUAL
RETURN, THE FUND'S ACTUAL PERFORMANCE WILL VARY AND MAY RESULT IN AN ACTUAL
RETURN GREATER OR LESS THAN 5%.
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The purpose of the foregoing table is to assist you in understanding
the various costs and expenses borne by the Fund, and therefore indirectly by
investors, the payment of which will reduce investors' return on an annual
basis. The information in the foregoing table does not reflect any fee
waivers or expense reimbursement arrangements that may be in effect. You can
purchase Fund shares without charge directly from the Fund's distributor; you
may be charged a nominal fee if you effect transactions in Fund shares
through a securities dealer, bank or other financial institution. See
"Management of the Fund" and "Shareholder Services Plan."
CONDENSED FINANCIAL INFORMATION
The information in the following table has been audited by Ernst &
Young LLP, the Fund's independent auditors, whose report thereon appears in
the Statement of Additional Information. Further financial data and related
notes are included in the Statement of Additional Information, available upon
request.
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
Contained below is per share operating performance data for a share
of Common Stock outstanding, total investment return, ratios to average net
assets and other supplemental data for each year indicated. This information
has been derived from the Fund's financial statements.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31,
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994
----- ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ----- ----- ----- -----
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
PER SHARE DATA:
Net asset value,
beginning of year.... $.9998 $.9999 $.9999 $.9994 $.9997 $.9997 $.9992 $.9991 $.9991 $.9990
------- ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ----- ------ ------
INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:
Investment income_net.... .0783 .0629 .0609 .0691 .0871 .0764 .0570 .0341 .0261 .0348
Net realized gain (loss)
on investments...... .0001 -- (.0005) .0001 (.0002) -- (.0001) -- (.0001) .0001
------- ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ----- ------ ------
TOTAL FROM INVESTMENT
OPERATIONS.... .0784 .0629 .0604 .0692 .0869 .0764 .0569 .0341 .0260 .0349
------- ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ----- ------ ------
DISTRIBUTIONS:
Dividends from investment
income-net..... (.0783) (.0629) (.0609) (.0689) (.0869) (.0769) (.0570) (.0341) (.0261) (.0347)
------- ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ----- ------ ------
Net asset value,
end of year..... $.9999 $.9999 $.9994 $.9997 $.9997 $.9992 $.9991 $.9991 $.9990 $.9992
------- ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ----- ------ ------
TOTAL INVESTMENT
RETURN....... 8.14% 6.50% 6.28% 7.11% 9.07% 7.99% 5.87% 3.47% 2.64% 3.53%
RATIOS/SUPPLEMENTAL
DATA:
Ratio of expenses to
average net assets.... .66% .65% .67% .69% .66% .65% .67% .72% .77% .76%
Ratio of net investment
income to average
net assets...... 7.84% 6.32% 6.11% 6.92% 8.72% 7.66% 5.75% 3.43% 2.62% 3.49%
Net Assets, end of year
(000's Omitted). $7,991,133 $7,388,400 $7,446,635 $7,304,277 $7,835,754 $7,521,291 $6,200,255 $5,502,100 $4,828,134 $4,863,374
</TABLE>
page 3
YIELD INFORMATION
From time to time, the Fund advertises its yield and effective yield.
Both yield figures are based on historical earnings and are not intended to
indicate future performance. It can be expected that these yields will
fluctuate substantially. The yield of the Fund refers to the income generated
by an investment in the Fund over a seven-day period (which period will be
stated in the advertisement). This income is then annualized. That is, the
amount of income generated by the investment during that week is assumed to
be generated each week over a 52-week period and is shown as a percentage of
the investment. The effective yield is calculated similarly, but, when
annualized, the income earned by an investment in the Fund is assumed to be
reinvested. The effective yield will be slightly higher than the yield
because of the compounding effect of this assumed reinvestment. The Fund's
yield and effective yield may reflect absorbed expenses pursuant to any
undertaking that may be in effect. See "Management of the Fund."
Yield information is useful in reviewing the Fund's performance, but
because yields will fluctuate, under certain conditions such information may
not provide a basis for comparison with domestic bank deposits, other
investments which pay a fixed yield for a stated period of time, or other
investment companies which may use a different method of computing yield.
Comparative performance information may be used from time to time in
advertising or marketing the Fund's shares, including data from Lipper
Analytical Services, Inc., IBC/Donoghue's Money Fund ReportRegistration Mark,
Morningstar, Inc., Bank Rate Monitortrademark, N. Palm Beach, Fla. 33408 and
other industry publications.
DESCRIPTION OF THE FUND
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE
The Fund's goal is to provide you with as high a level of current
income as is consistent with the preservation of capital. The Fund's
investment objective cannot be changed without approval by the holders of a
majority (as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940) of the Fund's
outstanding voting shares. There can be no assurance that the Fund's
objective will be achieved. Securities in which the Fund will invest may not
earn as high a level of current income as long-term or lower quality
securities which generally have less liquidity, greater market risk and more
fluctuation in market value.
MANAGEMENT POLICIES
To achieve its goal, the Fund invests in short-term money market
instruments, consisting exclusively of securities issued or guaranteed by the
U.S. Government or its agencies or instrumentalities, certificates of
deposit, time deposits, bankers' acceptances and other short-term obligations
issued by domestic banks and London branches of domestic banks, repurchase
agreements, high grade commercial paper and other short-term corporate
obligations. The Fund will invest at least 25% of its assets in bank
obligations. See "Investment Considerations" below.
The Fund seeks to maintain a net asset value of $1.00 per share for
purchases and redemptions. To do so, the Fund uses the amortized cost method
of valuing its securities pursuant to Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company
Act of 1940, certain requirements of which are summarized below.
In accordance with Rule 2a-7, the Fund will maintain a
dollar-weighted average portfolio maturity of 90 days or less, purchase only
instruments having remaining maturities of 13 months or less and invest only
in U.S. dollar denominated securities determined in accordance with
procedures established by the Board of Directors to present minimal credit
risks and which are rated in one of the two highest rating categories for
debt obligations by at least two nationally recognized statistical rating
organizations (or one rating organization if the instrument was rated by only
one such organization) or, if unrated, are of comparable quality as
determined in accordance with procedures established by the Board of
Directors.
Page 4
Moreover, the Fund will purchase only securities so rated in the
highest rating category or, if unrated, of comparable quality as determined
in accordance with such procedures. The nationally recognized statistical
rating organizations currently rating instruments of the type the Fund may
purchase are Moody's Investors Service, Inc., Standard & Poor's Corporation,
Duff & Phelps Credit Rating Co., Fitch Investors Service, Inc., IBCA Limited
and IBCA Inc. and Thomson BankWatch, Inc. and their rating criteria are
described in the Appendix to the Fund's Statement of Additional Information.
In addition, the Fund will not invest more than 5% of its total
assets in the securities (including the securities collateralizing a
repurchase agreement) of, or subject to puts issued by, a single issuer,
except that (i) the Fund may invest more than 5% of its total assets in a
single issuer for a period of up to three business days in certain limited
circumstances, (ii) the Fund may invest in obligations issued or guaranteed
by the U.S. Government without any such limitation, and (iii) the limitation
with respect to puts does not apply to unconditional puts if no more than 10%
of the Fund's total assets is invested in securities issued or guaranteed by
the issuer of the unconditional put. As to each security, these percentages
are measured at the time the Fund purchases the security. For further
information regarding the amortized cost method of valuing securities, see
"Determination of Net Asset Value" in the Fund's Statement of Additional
Information. There can be no assurance that the Fund will be able to maintain
a stable net asset value of $1.00 per share.
PORTFOLIO SECURITIES
Securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or its
agencies or instrumentalities include U.S. Treasury securities, which differ
in their interest rates, maturities and times of issuance. Some obligations
issued or guaranteed by U.S. Government agencies and instrumentalities, for
example, Government National Mortgage Association pass-through certificates,
are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury; others, such
as those of the Federal Home Loan Banks, by the right of the issuer to borrow
from the Treasury; others, such as those issued by the Federal National
Mortgage Association, by discretionary authority of the U.S. Government to
purchase certain obligations of the agency or instrumentality; and others,
such as those issued by the Student Loan Marketing Association, only by the
credit of the agency or instrumentality. These securities bear fixed,
floating or variable rates of interest. Interest may fluctuate based on
generally recognized reference rates or the relationship of rates. While the
U.S. Government provides financial support to such U.S. Government-sponsored
agencies or instrumentalities, no assurance can be given that it will always
do so since it is not so obligated by law. The Fund will invest in such
securities only when the Fund is satisfied that the credit risk with respect
to the issuer is minimal.
Certificates of deposit are negotiable certificates evidencing the
obligation of a bank to repay funds deposited with it for a specified period
of time.
Time deposits are non-negotiable deposits maintained in a banking
institution for a specified period of time (in no event longer than seven
days) at a stated interest rate. Investments in time deposits generally are
limited to London branches of domestic banks that have total assets in excess
of one billion dollars. Time deposits which may be held by the Fund will not
benefit from insurance from the Bank Insurance Fund or the Savings
Association Insurance Fund administered by the Federal Deposit Insurance
Corporation.
Bankers' acceptances are credit instruments evidencing the obligation
of a bank to pay a draft drawn on it by a customer. These instruments reflect
the obligation both of the bank and of the drawer to pay the face amount of
the instrument upon maturity. The other short-term obligations may include
uninsured, direct obligations bearing fixed, floating or variable rates of
interest.
Commercial paper consists of short-term, unsecured promissory notes
issued to finance short-term credit needs. The commercial paper purchased by
the Fund will consist only of direct obligations issued by domestic entities.
The other corporate obligations in which the Fund may invest consist of high
quality,
Page 5
short-term bonds and notes issued by domestic corporations.
Repurchase agreements involve the acquisition by the Fund of an
underlying debt instrument, subject to an obligation of the seller to
repurchase, and the Fund to resell, the instrument at a fixed price usually
not more than one week after its purchase. Certain costs may be incurred by
the Fund in connection with the sale of the securities if the seller does not
repurchase them in accordance with the repurchase agreement. In addition, if
bankruptcy proceedings are commenced with respect to the seller of the
securities, realization on the securities by the Fund may be delayed or
limited.
CERTAIN FUNDAMENTAL POLICIES
The Fund (i) may borrow money from banks for temporary or emergency
(not leveraging) purposes in an amount up to 5% of the value of the Fund's
total assets (including the amount borrowed) valued at the lesser of cost or
market, less liabilities (not including the amount borrowed) at the time the
borrowing is made; (ii) may pledge its assets in an amount up to 15% of the
value of its total assets but only to secure borrowings for temporary or
emergency purposes; (iii) may invest up to 5% of its assets in the commercial
paper of any one issuer; (iv) as to 25% of its assets, may invest up to 15%
of its assets in the obligations of any one bank and, as to the remainder,
may invest not more than 5% of its assets in the obligations of any one bank
(in each case, subject to the provisions of Rule 2a-7); and (v) will invest
at least 25% of its assets in obligations issued by banks and may invest up
to 25% of its assets in the securities of issuers in a single industry,
provided that there shall be no limitation on the purchase of obligations
issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies or
instrumentalities. This paragraph describes fundamental policies of the Fund
which cannot be changed without approval by the holders of a majority (as
defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940) of the Fund's outstanding
voting shares. See "Investment Objective and Management Policies _ Investment
Restrictions" in the Fund's Statement of Additional Information.
While not fundamental policies, the Fund may not invest more than 10%
of its total assets in time deposits maturing from two business days through
seven calendar days or more than 10% of its net assets in repurchase
agreements providing for settlement in more than seven days after notice.
INVESTMENT CONSIDERATIONS
Since the Fund's portfolio may contain securities issued by London
branches of domestic banks, the Fund may be subject to additional investment
risks with respect to such securities that are different in some respects
from those incurred by a fund which invests only in debt obligations of U.S.
domestic issuers. Such risks include future political and economic
developments, the possible imposition of United Kingdom withholding taxes on
interest income payable on the securities, the possible establishment of
exchange controls, the possible seizure or nationalization of foreign
deposits or the adoption of other foreign governmental restrictions which
might adversely affect the payment of principal and interest on such
securities.
To the extent the Fund's investments are concentrated in the banking
industry, the Fund will have correspondingly greater exposure to the risk
factors which are characteristic of such investments. Sustained increases in
interest rates can adversely affect the availability or liquidity and cost of
capital funds for a bank's lending activities, and a deterioration in general
economic conditions could increase the exposure to credit losses. In
addition, the value of and the investment return on the Fund's shares could
be affected by economic or regulatory developments in or related to the
banking industry, which industry also is subject to the effects of the
concentration of loan portfolios in leveraged transactions and in particular
businesses, and competition within the banking industry as well as with other
types of financial institutions. The Fund, however, will seek to minimize its
exposure to such risks by investing only in debt securities which are
determined to be of the highest quality.
The Fund attempts to increase yields by trading to take advantage of
short-term market variations. This policy is expected to result in high
portfolio turnover but should not adversely affect the Fund since
Page 6
the Fund usually does not pay brokerage commissions when it purchases
short-term debt obligations. The value of the portfolio securities held by
the Fund will vary inversely to changes in prevailing interest rates. Thus,
if interest rates have increased from the time a security was purchased, such
security, if sold, might be sold at a price less than its purchase cost.
Similarly, if interest rates have declined from the time a security was
purchased, such security, if sold, might be sold at a price greater than its
purchase cost. In either instance, if the security was purchased at face value
and held to maturity, no gain or loss would be realized.
Investment decisions for the Fund are made independently from those
of other investment companies advised by The Dreyfus Corporation. However, if
such other investment companies are prepared to invest in, or desire to
dispose of, money market instruments at the same time as the Fund, available
investments or opportunities for sales will be allocated equitably to each
investment company. In some cases, this procedure may adversely affect the
price paid or received by the Fund or the size of the position obtained for
or disposed of by the Fund.
MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND
The Dreyfus Corporation, located at 200 Park Avenue, New York, New
York 10166, was formed in 1947 and serves as the Fund's investment adviser.
The Dreyfus Corporation is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mellon Bank, N.A.,
which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mellon Bank Corporation ("Mellon"). As
of March 31, 1995, The Dreyfus Corporation managed or administered
approximately $72 billion in assets for approximately 1.9 million investor
accounts nationwide.
The Dreyfus Corporation supervises and assists in the overall
management of the Fund's affairs under a Management Agreement with the Fund,
subject to the authority of the Fund's Board of Directors in accordance with
Maryland law.
Mellon is a publicly owned multibank holding company incorporated
under Pennsylvania law in 1971 and registered under the Federal Bank Holding
Company Act of 1956, as amended. Mellon provides a comprehensive range of
financial products and services in domestic and selected international
markets. Mellon is among the twenty-five largest bank holding companies in
the United States based on total assets. Mellon's principal wholly-owned
subsidiaries are Mellon Bank, N.A., Mellon Bank (DE) National Association,
Mellon Bank (MD), The Boston Company, Inc., AFCO Credit Corporation and a
number of companies known as Mellon Financial Services Corporations. Through
its subsidiaries, including The Dreyfus Corporation, Mellon managed more than
$193 billion in assets as of December 31, 1994, including approximately $70
billion in mutual fund assets. As of December 31, 1994, various subsidiaries
of Mellon provided non-investment services, such as custodial or
administration services, for approximately $654 billion in assets, including
approximately $74 billion in mutual fund assets.
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 1994, the Fund paid The
Dreyfus Corporation a monthly management fee at the annual rate of .47 of 1%
of the value of the Fund's average daily net assets. From time to time, The
Dreyfus Corporation may waive receipt of its fees and/or voluntarily assume
certain expenses of the Fund, which would have the effect of lowering the
overall expense ratio of the Fund and increasing yield to investors at the
time such amounts are waived or assumed, as the case may be. The Fund will
not pay The Dreyfus Corporation at a later time for any amounts it may waive,
nor will the Fund reimburse The Dreyfus Corporation for any amounts it may
assume.
The Dreyfus Corporation may pay the Fund's distributor for
shareholder services from The Dreyfus Corporation's own assets, including
past profits but not including the management fee paid by the Fund. The
Fund's distributor may use part or all of such payments to pay securities
dealers or others in respect to these services.
The Fund's distributor is Premier Mutual Fund Services, Inc. (the
"Distributor"), located at One Exchange Place, Boston, Massachusetts 02109.
The Distributor is a wholly-owned subsidiary of FDI
Page 7
Distribution Services, Inc., a provider of mutual fund administration
services, which in turn is a wholly-owned subsidiary of FDI Holdings, Inc.,
the parent company of which is Boston Institutional Group, Inc.
The Shareholder Services Group, Inc., a subsidiary of First Data
Corporation, P.O. Box 9671, Providence, Rhode Island 02940-9671, is the
Fund's Transfer and Dividend Disbursing Agent (the "Transfer Agent"). The
Bank of New York, 90 Washington Street, New York, New York 10286, is the
Fund's Custodian.
HOW TO BUY FUND SHARES
Fund shares are sold without a sales charge. You may be charged a
nominal fee if you effect transactions in Fund shares through a securities
dealer, bank or other financial institution. Stock certificates are issued
only upon your written request. No certificates are issued for fractional
shares. The Fund reserves the right to reject any purchase order.
The minimum initial investment is $2,500, or $1,000 if you are a
client of a securities dealer, bank or other financial institution which has
made an aggregate minimum initial purchase for its customers of $2,500.
Subsequent investments must be at least $100. The initial investment must be
accompanied by the Fund's Account Application. For full-time or part-time
employees of The Dreyfus Corporation or any of its affiliates or
subsidiaries, directors of The Dreyfus Corporation, Board members of a fund ad
vised by The Dreyfus Corporation, including members of the Fund's Board, or
the spouse or minor child of any of the foregoing, the minimum initial
investment is $1,000. For full-time or part-time employees of The Dreyfus
Corporation or any of its affiliates or subsidiaries who elect to have a
portion of their pay directly deposited into their Fund account, the minimum
initial investment is $50. In addition, the Fund reserves the right to offer
Fund shares without regard to minimum purchase requirements to employees
participating in certain qualified and non-qualified employee benefit plans
or other programs where contributions or account information may be
transmitted in a manner and form acceptable to the Fund. The Fund reserves
the right to vary further the initial and subsequent minimum investment
requirements at any time.
You may purchase Fund shares by check or wire, or through the Dreyfus
TELETRANSFER Privilege described below. Checks should be made payable to "The
Dreyfus Family of Funds," or, if for Dreyfus retirement plan accounts, to
"The Dreyfus Trust Company, Custodian." Payments to open new accounts which
are mailed should be sent to The Dreyfus Family of Funds, P.O. Box 9387,
Providence, Rhode Island 02940-9387, together with your Account Application.
For subsequent investments, your Fund account number should appear on the
check and an investment slip should be enclosed and sent to The Dreyfus
Family of Funds, P.O. Box 105, Newark, New Jersey 07101-0105. For Dreyfus
retirement plan accounts, both initial and subsequent investments should be
sent to The Dreyfus Trust Company, Custodian, P.O. Box 6427, Providence,
Rhode Island 02940-6427. Neither initial nor subsequent investments should be
made by third party check. Purchase orders may be delivered in person only to
a Dreyfus Financial Center. THESE ORDERS WILL BE FORWARDED TO THE FUND AND
WILL BE PROCESSED ONLY UPON RECEIPT THEREBY. For the location of the nearest
Dreyfus Financial Center, please call one of the telephone numbers listed
under "General Information."
Wire payments may be made if your bank account is in a commercial
bank that is a member of the Federal Reserve System or any other bank having
a correspondent bank in New York City. Immediately available funds may be
transmitted by wire to The Bank of New York, DDA #8900051795/Dreyfus Liquid
Assets, Inc., for purchase of Fund shares in your name. The wire must include
your Fund account number (for new accounts, your taxpayer identification
number ("TIN") should be included instead), account registration and dealer
number, if applicable. If your initial purchase of Fund shares is by wire,
please call 1-800-645-6561 after completing your wire payment to obtain your
Fund account number. Please include your Fund account number on the Fund's
Account Application and promptly mail the Account Application
Page 8
to the Fund, as no redemptions will be permitted until the Account Application
is received. You may obtain further information about remitting funds in this
manner from your bank. All payments should be made in U.S. dollars and, to
avoid fees and delays, should be drawn only on U.S. banks. A charge will be
imposed if any check used for investment in your account does not clear. The
Fund makes available to certain large institutions the ability to issue
purchase instructions through compatible computer facilities.
Subsequent investments also may be made by electronic transfer of
funds from an account maintained in a bank or other domestic financial
institution that is an Automated Clearing House member. You must direct the
institution to transmit immediately available funds through the Automated
Clearing House to The Bank of New York with instructions to credit your Fund
account. The instructions must specify your Fund account registration and
your Fund account number PRECEDED BY THE DIGITS "1111."
The Distributor may pay dealers a fee of up to .5% of the amount
invested through such dealers in Fund shares by employees participating in
qualified and non-qualified employee benefit plans or other programs where
(i) the employers or affiliated employers maintaining such plans or programs
have a minimum of 250 employees eligible for participation in such plans or
programs, or (ii) such plan's or program's aggregate investment in the
Dreyfus Family of Funds or certain other products made available by the
Distributor to such plans or programs exceeds one million dollars. All
present holdings of shares of funds in the Dreyfus Family of Funds by such
employee benefit plans or programs will be aggregated to determine the fee
payable with respect to each such purchase of Fund shares. The Distributor
reserves the right to cease paying these fees at any time. The Distributor
will pay such fees from its own funds, other than amounts received from the
Fund, including past profits or any other source available to it.
Fund shares are sold on a continuous basis at the net asset value per
share next determined after an order in proper form is received by the
Transfer Agent or other agent or entity subject to the direction of such
agents. Net asset value per share is determined as of the close of trading on
the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (currently 4:00 p.m., New York time)
on each day the New York Stock Exchange or the Transfer Agent is open for
business. Net asset value per share is computed by dividing the value of the
Fund's net assets (i.e., the value of its assets less liabilities) by the
total number of shares outstanding. See "Determination of Net Asset Value" in
the Fund's Statement of Additional Information.
Federal regulations require that you provide a certified TIN upon
opening or reopening an account. See "Dividends, Distributions and Taxes" and
the Fund's Account Application for further information concerning this
requirement. Failure to furnish a certified TIN to the Fund could subject you
to a $50 penalty imposed by the Internal Revenue Service (the "IRS").
DREYFUS TELETRANSFER PRIVILEGE - You may purchase Fund shares (minimum $500,
maximum $150,000 per day) by telephone if you have checked the appropriate
box and supplied the necessary information on the Fund's Account Application
or have filed a Shareholder Services Form with the Transfer Agent. The
proceeds will be transferred between the bank account designated in one of
these documents and your Fund account. Only a bank account maintained in a
domestic financial institution which is an Automated Clearing House member
may be so designated. The Fund may modify or terminate this Privilege at any
time or charge a service fee upon notice to shareholders. No such fee
currently is contemplated.
If you have selected the Dreyfus TELETRANSFER Privilege, you may
request a Dreyfus TELETRANSFER purchase of Fund shares by telephoning
1-800-221-4060 or, if you are calling from overseas, call 1-401-455-3306.
SHAREHOLDER SERVICES
FUND EXCHANGES - You may purchase, in exchange for shares of the Fund,
shares of certain other funds managed or administered by The Dreyfus
Corporation, to the extent such shares are offered for sale in your state of
residence. These funds have different investment objectives which may be of
interest to you. If
Page 9
you desire to use this service, please call 1-800-645-6561 to determine if it
is available and whether any conditions are imposed on its use.
To request an exchange, you must give exchange instructions to the
Transfer Agent in writing or by telephone. Before any exchange, you must
obtain and should review a copy of the current prospectus of the fund into
which an exchange is being made. Prospectuses may be obtained by calling
1-800-645-6561. Except in the case of Personal Retirement Plans, the shares
being exchanged must have a current value of at least $500; furthermore, when
establishing a new account by exchange, the shares being exchanged must have
a value of at least the minimum initial investment required for the fund into
which the exchange is being made. The ability to issue exchange instructions
by telephone is given to all Fund shareholders automatically, unless you
check the applicable "NO"box on the Account Application, indicating that you
specifically refuse this privilege. The Telephone Exchange Privilege may be
established for an existing account by written request, signed by all
shareholders on the account, or by a separate signed Shareholder Services
Form, also available by calling 1-800-645-6561. If you have established the
Telephone Exchange Privilege, you may telephone exchange instructions by
calling 1-800-221-4060 or, if you are calling from overseas, call
1-401-455-3306. See "How to Redeem Fund Shares _ Procedures." Upon an exchange
into a new account the following shareholder services and privileges, as
applicable and where available, will be automatically carried over to the fund
into which the exchange is made: Telephone Exchange Privilege, Check
Redemption Privilege, Wire Redemption Privilege, Telephone Redemption
Privilege, Dreyfus TELETRANSFER Privilege and the dividend/capital gain
distribution option (except for Dreyfus Dividend Sweep) selected by the
investor.
Shares will be exchanged at the next determined net asset value;
however, a sales load may be charged with respect to exchanges into funds
sold with a sales load. If you are exchanging into a fund that charges a
sales load, you may qualify for share prices which do not include the sales
load or which reflect a reduced sales load, if the shares of the fund from
which you are exchanging were: (a) purchased with a sales load, (b) acquired
by a previous exchange from shares purchased with a sales load, or (c)
acquired through reinvestment of dividends or distributions paid with respect
to the foregoing categories of shares. To qualify, at the time of your
exchange you must notify the Transfer Agent. Any such qualification is
subject to confirmation of your holdings through a check of appropriate
records. See "Shareholder Services" in the Statement of Additional
Information. No fees currently are charged shareholders directly in
connection with exchanges, although the Fund reserves the right, upon not
less than 60 days' written notice, to charge shareholders a nominal fee in
accordance with rules promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The Fund reserves the right to reject any exchange request in whole or in
part. The availability of Fund Exchanges may be modified or terminated at any
time upon notice to shareholders.
The exchange of shares of one fund for shares of another is treated
for Federal income tax purposes as a sale of the shares given in exchange by
the shareholder and, therefore, an exchanging shareholder may realize a
taxable gain or loss.
DREYFUS AUTO-EXCHANGE PRIVILEGE - Dreyfus Auto-Exchange Privilege enables
you to invest regularly (on a semi-monthly, monthly, quarterly or annual
basis), in exchange for shares of the Fund, in shares of other funds in the
Dreyfus Family of Funds of which you are currently an investor. The amount
you designate, which can be expressed either in terms of a specific dollar or
share amount ($100 minimum), will be exchanged automatically on the first
and/or fifteenth of the month according to the schedule you have selected.
Shares will be exchanged at the then-current net asset value; however, a
sales load may be charged with respect to exchanges into funds sold with a
sales load. See "Shareholder Services" in the Statement of Additional
Information. The right to exercise this Privilege may be modified or
cancelled by the Fund or the Transfer Agent. You may modify or cancel your
exercise of this Privilege at any time by writing to The
Page 10
Dreyfus Family of Funds, P.O. Box 9671, Providence, Rhode Island 02940-9671.
The Fund may charge a service fee for the use of this Privilege. No such fee
currently is contemplated. The exchange of shares of one fund for shares of
another is treated for Federal income tax purposes as a sale of the shares
given in exchange by the shareholder and, therefore, an exchanging shareholder
may realize a taxable gain or loss. For more information concerning this
Privilege and the funds in the Dreyfus Family of Funds eligible to
participate in this Privilege, or to obtain a Dreyfus Auto-Exchange
Authorization Form, please call toll free 1-800-645-6561.
DREYFUS-AUTOMATIC ASSET BUILDER Registration Mark - Dreyfus-AUTOMATIC Asset
Builder permits you to purchase Fund shares (minimum of $100 and maximum of
$150,000 per transaction) at regular intervals selected by you. Fund shares
are purchased by transferring funds from the bank account designated by you.
At your option, the bank account designated by you will be debited in the
specified amount, and Fund shares will be purchased, once a month, on either
the first or fifteenth day, or twice a month, on both days. Only an account
maintained at a domestic financial institution which is an Automated Clearing
House member may be so designated. To establish a Dreyfus-AUTOMATIC Asset
Builder account, you must file an authorization form with the Transfer Agent.
You may obtain the necessary authorization form by calling 1-800-645-6561.
You may cancel your participation in this Privilege or change the amount of
purchase at any time by mailing written notification to The Dreyfus Family of
Funds, P.O. Box 9671, Providence, Rhode Island 02940-9671, or, if for Dreyfus
retirement plan accounts, to The Dreyfus Trust Company, Custodian, P.O. Box
6427, Providence, Rhode Island 02940-6427, and the notification will be
effective three business days following receipt. The Fund may modify or
terminate this Privilege at any time or charge a service fee. No such fee
currently is contemplated.
DREYFUS GOVERNMENT DIRECT DEPOSIT PRIVILEGE - Dreyfus Government Direct
Deposit Privilege enables you to purchase Fund shares (minimum of $100 and
maximum of $50,000 per transaction) by having Federal salary, Social
Security, or certain veterans', military or other payments from the Federal
government automatically deposited into your Fund account. You may deposit as
much of such payments as you elect. To enroll in Dreyfus Government Direct
Deposit, you must file with the Transfer Agent a completed Direct Deposit
Sign-Up Form for each type of payment that you desire to include in this
Privilege. The appropriate form may be obtained by calling 1-800-645-6561.
Death or legal incapacity will terminate your participation in this
Privilege. You may elect at any time to terminate your participation by
notifying in writing the appropriate Federal agency. Further, the Fund may
terminate your participation upon 30 days' notice to you.
MONTHLY OR QUARTERLY DISTRIBUTION PLANS _ The Distribution Plans permit you
to receive monthly or quarterly payments from the Fund consisting of proceeds
from the redemption of shares purchased for your account through the
automatic reinvestment of dividends declared on your account during the
preceding month or calendar quarter.
You may open a Distribution Plan by submitting a request to the
Transfer Agent. A Plan may be ended at any time by you, the Fund or the
Transfer Agent. Shares for which certificates have been issued must be
presented before redemption under the Plans.
AUTOMATIC WITHDRAWAL PLAN - The Automatic Withdrawal Plan permits you to
request withdrawal of a specified dollar amount (minimum of $50) on either a
monthly or quarterly basis if you have a $5,000 minimum account. An
application for Automatic Withdrawal can be obtained by calling
1-800-645-6561. There is a service charge of 50cents for each withdrawal
check. The Automatic Withdrawal Plan may be ended at any time by you, the
Fund or the Transfer Agent. Shares for which stock certificates have been
issued may not be redeemed through the Automatic Withdrawal Plan.
Page 11
DREYFUS DIVIDEND OPTIONS - Dreyfus Dividend Sweep enables you to invest
automatically dividends or dividends and capital gain distributions, if any,
paid by the Fund in shares of another fund in the Dreyfus Family of Funds of
which you are a shareholder. Shares of the other fund will be purchased at
the then-current net asset value; however, a sales load may be charged with
respect to investments in shares of a fund sold with a sales load. If you are
investing in a fund that charges a sales load, you may qualify for share
prices which do not include the sales load or which reflect a reduced sales
load. If you are investing in a fund that charges a contingent deferred sales
charge, the shares purchased will be subject on redemption to the contingent
deferred sales charge, if any, applicable to the purchased shares. See
"Shareholder Services" in the Statement of Additional Information. Dreyfus
Dividend ACH permits you to transfer electronically dividends or dividends
and capital gain distributions, if any, from the Fund to a designated bank
account. Only an account maintained at a domestic financial institution which
is an Automated Clearing House member may be so designated. Banks may charge
a fee for this service.
For more information concerning these privileges or to request a
Dividend Options Form, please call toll free 1-800-645-6561. You may cancel
these privileges by mailing written notification to The Dreyfus Family of
Funds, P.O. Box 9671, Providence, Rhode Island 02940-9671. To select a new
fund after cancellation, you must submit a new Dividend Options Form.
Enrollment in or cancellation of these privileges is effective three business
days following receipt. These privileges are available only for existing
accounts and may not be used to open new accounts. Minimum subsequent
investments do not apply for Dreyfus Dividend Sweep. The Fund may modify or
terminate these privileges at any time or charge a service fee. No such fee
currently is contemplated. Shares of the Fund held under Keogh Plans, IRAs or
other retirement plans are not eligible for Dreyfus Dividend Sweep.
DREYFUS PAYROLL SAVINGS PLAN - Dreyfus Payroll Savings Plan permits you to
purchase Fund shares (minimum of $100 per transaction) automatically on a
regular basis. Depending upon your employer's direct deposit program, you may
have part or all of your paycheck transferred to your existing Dreyfus
account electronically through the Automated Clearing House system at each
pay period. To establish a Dreyfus Payroll Savings Plan account, you must
file an authorization form with your employer's payroll department. Your
employer must complete the reverse side of the form and return it to The
Dreyfus Family of Funds, P.O. Box 9671, Providence, Rhode Island 02940-9671.
You may obtain the necessary authorization form by calling 1-800-645-6561.
You may change the amount of purchase or cancel the authorization only by
written notification to your employer. It is the sole responsibility of your
employer, not the Distributor, The Dreyfus Corporation, the Fund, the
Transfer Agent or any other person, to arrange for transactions under the
Dreyfus Payroll Savings Plan. The Fund may modify or terminate this Privilege
at any time or charge a service fee. No such fee currently is contemplated.
Shares of the Fund held under Keogh Plans, IRAs or other retirement plans are
not eligible for this Privilege.
RETIREMENT PLANS - The Fund offers a variety of pension and profit-sharing
plans, including Keogh Plans, IRAs, SEP-IRAs and IRA "Rollover Accounts,"
401(k) Salary Reduction Plans and 403(b)(7) Plans. Plan support services also
are available. You can obtain details on the various plans by calling the
following numbers: for Keogh Plans, please call 1-800-358-5566; for IRAs and
IRA "Rollover Accounts," please call 1-800-645-6561; and for SEP-IRAs, 401(k)
Salary Reduction Plans and 403(b)(7) Plans, please call 1-800-322-7880.
HOW TO REDEEM FUND SHARES
GENERAL - You may request redemption of your shares at any time. Redemption
requests should be transmitted to the Transfer Agent as described below. When
a request is received in proper form, the Fund will redeem the shares at the
next determined net asset value.
Page 12
The Fund imposes no charges when shares are redeemed. Securities
dealers, banks and other financial institutions may charge a nominal fee for
effecting redemptions of Fund shares. Any stock certificates representing
Fund shares being redeemed must be submitted with the redemption request. The
value of the shares redeemed may be more or less than their original cost,
depending upon the Fund's then-current net asset value.
The Fund ordinarily will make payment for all shares redeemed
within seven days of receipt by the Transfer Agent of a redemption request in
proper form, except as provided by the rules of the Securities and Exchange
Commission. HOWEVER, IF YOU HAVE PURCHASED FUND SHARES BY CHECK, BY DREYFUS
TELETRANSFER PRIVILEGE OR THROUGH DREYFUS-AUTOMATIC ASSET BUILDER AND
SUBSEQUENTLY SUBMIT A WRITTEN REDEMPTION REQUEST TO THE TRANSFER AGENT, YOUR
REDEMPTION WILL BE EFFECTIVE AND THE REDEMPTION PROCEEDS WILL BE TRANSMITTED
TO YOU PROMPTLY UPON BANK CLEARANCE OF YOUR PURCHASE CHECK, DREYFUS
TELETRANSFER PURCHASE OR DREYFUS-AUTOMATIC ASSET BUILDER ORDER, WHICH MAY
TAKE UP TO EIGHT BUSINESS DAYS OR MORE. IN ADDITION, THE FUND WILL NOT HONOR
REDEMPTION CHECKS UNDER THE CHECK REDEMPTION PRIVILEGE, AND WILL REJECT
REQUESTS TO REDEEM SHARES BY WIRE OR TELEPHONE OR PURSUANT TO THE DREYFUS
TELETRANSFER PRIVILEGE, FOR A PERIOD OF EIGHT BUSINESS DAYS AFTER RECEIPT BY
THE TRANSFER AGENT OF THE PURCHASE CHECK, THE DREYFUS TELETRANSFER PURCHASE
OR THE DREYFUS-AUTOMATIC ASSET BUILDER ORDER AGAINST WHICH SUCH REDEMPTION IS
REQUESTED. THESE PROCEDURES WILL NOT APPLY IF YOUR SHARES WERE PURCHASED BY
WIRE PAYMENT, OR IF YOU OTHERWISE HAVE A SUFFICIENT COLLECTED BALANCE IN YOUR
ACCOUNT TO COVER THE REDEMPTION REQUEST. PRIOR TO THE TIME ANY REDEMPTION IS
EFFECTIVE, DIVIDENDS ON SUCH SHARES WILL ACCRUE AND BE PAYABLE, AND YOU WILL
BE ENTITLED TO EXERCISE ALL OTHER RIGHTS OF BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP. Fund shares
will not be redeemed until the Transfer Agent has received your Account
Application.
Ordinarily the Fund will initiate payment for all shares redeemed
pursuant to the regular redemption procedure, by wire or telephone or through
the Dreyfus TELETRANSFER Privilege on the next business day after receipt by
the Transfer Agent of a redemption request in proper form.
The Fund reserves the right to redeem your account at its option
upon not less than 45 days' written notice if your account's net asset value
is $500 or less and remains so during the notice period.
PROCEDURES - You may redeem shares by using the regular redemption procedure
through the Transfer Agent, the Check Redemption Privilege, the Wire
Redemption Privilege, the Telephone Redemption Privilege, or the Dreyfus
TELETRANSFER Privilege. The Fund makes available to certain large institutions
the ability to issue redemption instructions through compatible computer
facilities.
You may redeem Fund shares by telephone if you have checked the
appropriate box on the Fund's Account Application or have filed a Shareholder
Services Form with the Transfer Agent. If you select a telephone redemption
privilege or telephone exchange privilege (which is granted automatically
unless you refuse it), you authorize the Transfer Agent to act on telephone
instructions from any person representing himself or herself to be you and
reasonably believed by the Transfer Agent to be genuine. The Fund will
require the Transfer Agent to employ reasonable procedures, such as requiring
a form of personal identification, to confirm that instructions are genuine
and, if it does not follow such procedures, the Fund or the Transfer Agent
may be liable for any losses due to unauthorized or fraudulent instructions.
Neither the Fund nor the Transfer Agent will be liable for following
telephone instructions reasonably believed to be genuine.
During times of drastic economic or market conditions, you may
experience difficulty in contacting the Transfer Agent by telephone to
request a redemption or exchange of Fund shares. In such cases, you should
consider using the other redemption procedures described herein. Use of these
other redemption procedures may result in your redemption request being
processed at a later time than it would have been if telephone redemption had
been used.
Page 13
REGULAR REDEMPTION - Under the regular redemption procedure, you may redeem
your shares by written request mailed to The Dreyfus Family of Funds, P.O.
Box 9671, Providence, Rhode Island 02940-9671. Redemption requests may be
delivered in person only to a Dreyfus Financial Center. THESE REQUESTS WILL
BE FORWARDED TO THE FUND AND WILL BE PROCESSED ONLY UPON RECEIPT THEREBY. For
the location of the nearest Dreyfus Financial Center, please call one of the
telephone numbers listed under "General Information." Redemption requests
must be signed by each shareholder, including each owner of a joint account,
and each signature must be guaranteed. The Transfer Agent has adopted
standards and procedures pursuant to which signature-guarantees in proper
form generally will be accepted from domestic banks, brokers, dealers, credit
unions, national securities exchanges, registered securities associations,
clearing agencies and savings associations, as well as from participants in
the New York Stock Exchange Medallion Signature Program, the Securities
Transfer Agents Medallion Program ("STAMP") and the Stock Exchanges Medallion
Program. If you have any questions with respect to signature-guarantees,
please call one of the telephone numbers listed under "General Information."
Redemption proceeds of at least $1,000 will be wired to any member
bank of the Federal Reserve System in accordance with a written
signature-guaranteed request.
CHECK REDEMPTION PRIVILEGE - You may request on the Account Application,
Shareholder Services Form or by later written request that the Fund provide
Redemption Checks drawn on the Fund's account. Redemption Checks may be made
payable to the order of any person in the amount of $500 or more. Redemption
Checks should not be used to close your account. Redemption Checks are free,
but the Transfer Agent will impose a fee for stopping payment of a Redemption
Check upon your request or if the Transfer Agent cannot honor a Redemption Che
ck due to insufficient funds or other valid reason. You should date your
Redemption Checks with the current date when you write them. Please do not
postdate your Redemption Checks. If you do, the Transfer Agent will honor,
upon presentment, even if presented before the date of the check, all
postdated Redemption Checks which are dated within six months of presentment
for payment, if they are otherwise in good order. Shares for which stock
certificates have been issued may not be redeemed by Redemption Check. Shares
held under Keogh Plans, IRAs or other retirement plans are not eligible for
this Privilege. This Privilege may be modified or terminated at any time by
the Fund or the Transfer Agent upon notice to shareholders.
Wire Redemption Privilege - You may request by wire or telephone that
redemption proceeds (minimum $1,000 ) be wired to your account at a bank
which is a member of the Federal Reserve System, or a correspondent bank if
your bank is not a member. To establish the Wire Redemption Privilege, you
must check the appropriate box and supply the necessary information on the
Fund's Account Application or file a Shareholder Services Form with the
Transfer Agent. You may direct that redemption proceeds be paid by check
(maximum $150,000 per day) made out to the owners of record and mailed to
your address. Redemption proceeds of less than $1,000 will be paid
automatically by check. Holders of jointly registered Fund or bank accounts
may have redemption proceeds of not more than $250,000 wired within any
30-day period. You may telephone redemption requests by calling
1-800-221-4060 or, if you are calling from overseas, call 1-401-455-3306. The
Fund reserves the right to refuse any redemption request, including requests
made shortly after a change of address, and may limit the amount involved or
the number of such requests. This Privilege may be modified or terminated at
any time by the Transfer Agent or the Fund. The Fund's Statement of
Additional Information sets forth instructions for transmitting redemption
requests by wire. Shares of the Fund held under Keogh Plans, IRAs or other
retirement plans, and shares for which certificates have been issued, are not
eligible for this Privilege.
TELEPHONE REDEMPTION PRIVILEGE - You may redeem Fund shares (maximum
$150,000 per day) by telephone if you have checked the appropriate box on the
Fund's Account Application or have filed a Shareholder Services Form with the
Transfer Agent. The redemption proceeds will be paid by check and
Page 14
mailed to your address. You may telephone redemption instructions by calling
1-800-221-4060 or, if you are calling from overseas, call 1-401-455-3306. The
Fund reserves the right to refuse any request made by telephone, including
requests made shortly after a change of address, and may limit the amount
involved or the number of telephone redemption requests. This Privilege may
be modified or terminated at any time by the Transfer Agent or the Fund.
Shares of the Fund held under Keogh Plans, IRAs or other retirement plans,
and shares for which certificates have been issued, are not eligible for this
Privilege.
DREYFUS TELETRANSFER PRIVILEGE - You may redeem Fund shares (minimum $500
per day) by telephone if you have checked the appropriate box and supplied
the necessary information on the Fund's Account Application or have filed a
Shareholder Services Form with the Transfer Agent. The proceeds will be
transferred between your Fund account and the bank account designated in one
of these documents. Only a bank account maintained in a domestic financial
institution which is an Automated Clearing House member may be so designated.
Redemption proceeds will be on deposit in your account at an Automated
Clearing House member bank ordinarily two days after receipt of the
redemption request or, at your request, paid by check (maximum $150,000 per
day) and mailed to your address. Holders of jointly registered Fund or bank
accounts may redeem through the Dreyfus TELETRANSFER Privilege for transfer
to their bank account not more than $250,000 within any 30-day period. The
Fund reserves the right to refuse any request made by telephone, including
requests made shortly after a change of address, and may limit the amount
involved or the number of such requests. The Fund may modify or terminate
this Privilege at any time or charge a service fee upon notice to
shareholders. No such fee is currently contemplated.
If you have selected the Dreyfus TELETRANSFER Privilege, you may
request a Dreyfus TELETRANSFER redemption of Fund shares by calling
1-800-221-4060 or, if you are calling from overseas, call 1-401-455-3306.
Shares of the Fund held under Keogh Plans, IRAs or other retirement plans,
and shares issued in certificate form, are not eligible for this Privilege.
SHAREHOLDER SERVICES PLAN
The Fund has adopted a Shareholder Services Plan pursuant to which
the Fund reimburses Dreyfus Service Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of
The Dreyfus Corporation, an amount not to exceed an annual rate of .25 of 1%
of the value of the Fund's average daily net assets for certain allocated
expenses of providing personal services and/or maintaining shareholder
accounts. The services provided may include personal services relating to
shareholder accounts, such as answering shareholder inquiries regarding the
Fund and providing reports and other information, and services related to the
maintenance of shareholder accounts.
DIVIDENDS, DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES
The Fund ordinarily declares and pays dividends from its net
investment income on each day the New York Stock Exchange or the Transfer
Agent is open for business. The Fund's earnings for Saturdays, Sundays and
holidays are paid as dividends on the next business day. Shares begin
accruing dividends on the day following the date of purchase. Distributions
from net realized securities gains, if any, generally are declared and paid
once a year, but the Fund may make distributions on a more frequent basis to
comply with the distribution requirements of the Internal Revenue Code of
1986, as amended (the "Code"), in all events in a manner consistent with the
provisions of the Investment Company Act of 1940. The Fund will not make
distributions from net realized securities gains unless capital loss
carryovers, if any, have been utilized or have expired. You may choose
whether to receive dividends and distributions in cash or to reinvest in
additional Fund shares at net asset value. All expenses are accrued daily and
deducted before declaration of dividends to investors.
Page 15
Dividends derived from net investment income, together with
distributions from any net realized short-term securities gains and all or a
portion of any gain realized from the sale or other disposition of certain
market discount bonds, paid by the Fund will be taxable to shareholders as
ordinary income whether received in cash or reinvested in additional Fund
shares. No dividend will qualify for the dividends received deduction
allowable to certain U.S. corporations. Distributions from net realized long-t
erm securities gains of the Fund will be taxable to U.S. shareholders as
long-term capital gains regardless of how long shareholders have held their
Fund shares and whether such distributions are received in cash or reinvested
in additional Fund shares. The Code provides that the net capital gains of an
individual generally will not be subject to Federal income tax at a rate in
excess of 28%. Dividends and distributions may be subject to certain state
and local taxes.
Dividends derived from net investment income, together with
distributions from net realized short-term securities gain and all or a
portion of any gain realized from the sale or other disposition of certain
market discount bonds, paid by the Fund to a foreign investor generally are
subject to U.S. nonresident withholding taxes at the rate of 30%, unless the
investor claims the benefit of a lower rate specified in a tax treaty.
Distributions from net realized long-term securities gains paid by the Fund to
a foreign investor generally will not be subject to U.S. nonresident
withholding tax. However, such distributions may be subject to backup
withholding, as described below, unless the foreign investor certifies his
non-U.S. residency status.
Notice as to the tax status of your dividends and distributions
will be mailed to you annually. You also will receive periodic summaries of
your account which will include information as to dividends and distributions
from securities gains, if any, paid during the year.
Federal regulations generally require the Fund to withhold ("backup
withholding") and remit to the U.S. Treasury 31% of dividends and
distributions from net realized securities gains of the Fund paid to a
shareholder if such shareholder fails to certify either that the TIN
furnished in connection with opening an account is correct, or that such
shareholder has not received notice from the IRS of being subject to backup
withholding as a result of a failure to properly report taxable dividend or
interest income on a Federal income tax return. Furthermore, the IRS may
notify the Fund to institute backup withholding if the IRS determines that a
shareholder's TIN is incorrect or if a shareholder has failed to properly
report taxable dividend and interest income on a Federal income tax return.
A TIN is either the Social Security number or employer
identification number of the record owner of the account. Any tax withheld as
a result of backup withholding does not constitute an additional tax imposed
on the record owner of the account, and may be claimed as a credit on the
record owner's Federal income tax return.
Management believes that the Fund has qualified for the fiscal year
ended December 31, 1994 as a "regulated investment company" under the Code.
The Fund intends to continue to so qualify if such qualification is in the
best interests of its shareholders. Such qualification relieves the Fund of
any liability for Federal income taxes to the extent its earnings are
distributed in accordance with applicable provisions of the Code. The Fund is
subject to a nondeductible 4% excise tax, measured with respect to certain
undistributed amounts of taxable income and capital gains, if any.
You should consult your tax adviser regarding specific questions as
to Federal, state or local taxes.
GENERAL INFORMATION
The Fund was incorporated under Maryland law on September 6, 1973,
and commenced operations on January 28, 1974. The Fund is authorized to issue
25 billion shares of Common Stock, par value $.10 per share. Each share has
one vote.
Page 16
Unless otherwise required by the Investment Company Act of 1940,
ordinarily it will not be necessary for the Fund to hold annual meetings of
shareholders. As a result, Fund shareholders may not consider each year the
election of Directors or the appointment of auditors. However, pursuant to
the Fund's By-Laws, the holders of at least 10% of the shares outstanding and
entitled to vote may require the Fund to hold a special meeting of
shareholders for the purpose of removing a Director from office and the
holders of at least 25% of such shares may require the Fund to hold a special
meeting of shareholders for any other purpose. Fund shareholders may remove a
Director by the affirmative vote of a majority of the Fund's outstanding
voting shares. In addition, the Board of Directors will call a meeting of
shareholders for the purpose of electing Directors if, at any time, less than
a majority of the Directors then holding office have been elected by
shareholders.
The Transfer Agent maintains a record of your ownership and sends
you confirmations and statements of account.
Shareholder inquiries may be made by writing to the Fund at 144
Glenn Curtiss Boulevard, Uniondale, New York 11556-0144, or by calling toll
free 1-800-645-6561. In New York City, call 1-718-895-1206; outside the
United States and Canada, call 516-794-5452.
NO PERSON HAS BEEN AUTHORIZED TO GIVE ANY INFORMATION OR TO MAKE
ANY REPRESENTATIONS OTHER THAN THOSE CONTAINED IN THIS PROSPECTUS AND IN THE
FUND'S OFFICIAL SALES LITERATURE IN CONNECTION WITH THE OFFER OF THE FUND'S
SHARES, AND, IF GIVEN OR MADE, SUCH OTHER INFORMATION OR REPRESENTATIONS MUST
NOT BE RELIED UPON AS HAVING BEEN AUTHORIZED BY THE FUNDS. THIS PROSPECTUS
DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER IN ANY STATE IN WHICH, OR TO ANY PERSON TO WHOM,
SUCH OFFERING MAY NOT LAWFULLY BE MADE.
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DREYFUS
Liquid
Assets, Inc.
Prospectus
(LION LOGO)
Registration Mark
Copy Rights 1995, Dreyfus Service Corporation
039p15050195
